Steam-actuated valve



(No Model.) 4 SheetsSheet 3.

W; s.-1 HBLPS. STEAM AGTUATBD VALVE. Y No. 313684 Patented Mam.y 10, 1885.

WITNESS f C) A, C) INVBNTOR;

ATTORNEYS.

QNo Model.) 4 She-ets-Sheet L W'. As. PHBLPS.

STEAM AGTUATED VALVE.

WITNL' INVENTORE @w 7785' 8momanifs.`

*MMZ/Qwf. l MGM@ the Valves.

UNITED STATES PATENT rricis.

WALTER SCOTT PHELPS, OF WORTENDYKE, NEW JERSEY.

STEAM-ACTUATED VALVE.

SPECIFICATEON forming part of Letters Patent No. 313,684, dated March 1,0, 1885.

Application filed March 17, 1884. (No model.)

T0 all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER S. PHELPs, of Wortendyke, in the county of Bergen and State of New Jersey, have invented new and Improved Steam-Actuated Valves for Steam- Cylinders, ofwhich the following isafull,clear, and exact description. t

The object of'my invention is to provide new and improved steam-actuated valves for the steam-cylinders of steamengines, steampumps, &c.

The invention consists in the combination, with a steam cylinder and piston, of a steamchest containing a series of pistons which are operated by the live steam in the cylinder at the end of each stroke, which live steam, after being admitted into the chest, works under expansion and shifts the pistons, all as will be fully described and set forth hereinafter.

Reference is to be had -to the accompanying drawings, forming partv of this specification,

in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure lisa side View of a steam-pump provided with my improved valve. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional elevation of the same on the line x afm ac, Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the steam-cylinder and Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional elevation on the line y y, Fig. 3. Figs. 5, l6, and 7 are sectional diagrams showing the different relative positions of the piston and the slidevalve.

A is the steam-piston,working in a cylinder, B,'and secured to a piston-rod, A', which is connected with a pump-piston or with a crank. Gis the steam-supply pipe. Dis the exhaustpipe; and E represents a steam-chest held detachably by screws or bolts on the top of the cylinder, lwhich chest E contains the entire valve mechanism. Both ends ofchest E are constructed alike, and it can easily be reversed, so that either end will project toward the pump;` or it can be placed transversely on the cylinder, as the ports, &c.,which will be described hereinafter, 'and which have their ends in the bottom ofthe chest E and in the top of the cylinder Bare arranged in segmental lines, so that it' the chest E is revolved on its vertical axis and on the vertical central axis of the cylinder the ports of the cylinder and of the chest E will always coincide. The

cylinder B is provided with two channels, b

and b', which lead from the extreme ends ot' the cylinder to the flat portion of the upper' outer surface of the cylinder, the upper ends of the channels b and b being brought quite close together, and between them the channel d is arranged, which projects upward from Vthe exhaust-pipe D to the said ilat portion of the upper surface of the cylinder.

A short distance from each end of the cyl-V inder,which distance is a tritle greater than the thickness of the piston, channels c and c lead to the flat upper surface of the-cylinder. The above-described channels are arranged in the following manner on the said flat surface: In the middle is a circular channel, d. At the sides of the same and concentric with it are arranged the upper ends of the channels b and b', and concentric with and outside of the channels b and b are the channels c and c.

The steam-inlet pipe C, which is screwed into the top of the chest E, is provided with a series of apertures, C', through which the steam can pass into a cup or bell` C2, held on the upper surface of the chest E. The live steam can pass through two or morey apertures, G2, in the top of the chest into the interior of the same. Vithin the chest a cylinder, F, is held, and in the same three cylinders, G, G', and

G2, are held, the cylinder G2 being located in the middle of the cylinder F and the cylinders G and G at the ends of the same. The cylinder G2 is provided with exterior ribs, which t closely against the inner surface of the cylinder F, so that a series of steam-spaces will' be formed between the outer surface of the cylinder G2 and the inner surface of the cylinwith or fitting against the upper ends of the IOO channels b and b in the cylinder B, as shown in Fig. 3.

In the bottom of the cylinder G2 an aperture, g", is formed, which coincides with the upper end of a channel, h2, extending down to the bottom of the chest, the lower end of the channel h" coinciding with the upperend of the channel d in the cylinder B.

In the bottom of the steam-chest channels j and j are formed at the opposite ends, which channels lead from the ends of the chest E to the exhaust-channel h2 in the bottom of the chest.

In the outer ends of the cylinders G and G slots i and i are formed, through which the exhaust-steam can pass from the outer ends of the cylinders G and G to the steam-chambers between the outer surfaces of the said cylinders and the inner end surface of the steam-chest, and can then pass through the channels j and j.

' Between the outer surfaces of the cylinders G and G and the cylinder F steanrchambers K and K are formed, which are entirely independent of the steamchambers between the cylinders G and G and the cylinder F, or the cylinder G" and the cylinder F. Slotsl and Z establish communication between the interior of the cylinders G and G and the steam-chambers K and K. Channels m and m extend from the bottom parts ofthe stean1-chambers K and K to the bottom of the steam-chest, the lower ends ofthe channels m and m coinciding with the upper ends ot' the channels c and c in the cylinder. A channel, n, leads from the cup or bell C2 to the steam-chamber K', and is provided with a cock, L, for closing it.

In the cylinder G'l a piston, H2, is mounted to slide, which piston is provided, between the ends,with an annular groove or recess, J, at each side of which recess packing-rings are arranged,to cause the piston to fit close within the cylinder GZ. The said piston H2 is mount: ed rigidly on a piston-rod, M, and each side of the central piston, H", pistons N and N are rigidly mounted on the said piston-rod, the said pistons Nv and N being contained within the cylinders G and G', and are provided with suitable packing-rings.

On the outer ends of the piston-rod M nuts O and O are screwed and held rigidly, and between the said nuts and the pistons N and N sliding pistons P and P are loosely mounted on the piston-rod M, the said pistons being provided with a series of apertures, o and o, parallel with thelongitudinal axis of the piston. The pistons N and N are provided on the outer ends with short cylindrical projections R and R', in the sides of which annular grooves S and Sare formed. The heads T and T of the steam-chest are provided in theirinner surfaces with recesses t and t', for receiving the nuts O and O" on the ends of the piston-rod M. The two end pistons in the steamthest are provided in their rims with annular grooves w, in which the water of condensation can collect and act as a packing for the pistons.

lf desired, the exhaust-steam in the steamchest can pass offinto the air through apertures u o, in place ofpassing through the channelsjj. l

The operation is as follows: As shown in Fig. 3, the live steam enters through the channel b in the cylinder, to the left ofthe piston, and forces the piston in the direction of thc arrow a', the exhaust-steam in that part ofthe cylinder to the right of the piston being forced out through the channels b h, the groove Jin the piston H2, the slot g2 in the cylinder G,

4 thechannels h d, and exhaust-pipe D. When the piston A arrives at the end of its stroke, as shown in Fig. 5, it almost covers the end of the right-hand channel, b, and has passed the lower end of the channel c', thus permitting the live steam to pass through the channel c', as indicated by the arrows. The live steam passes into the space between the adjoining ends of thepistons N and P, Fig. 3, and as it acts 011 the comparatively small surface of the piston N it moves the said piston and the rod M very gently toward the left. As the piston P is loosely mounted Yon the piston-rod, it does not move with the pistons N N Hi. By moving the piston-rod M to the left, in the manner described. the middle piston, Hf, covers the upper end of the channel h, and also the upper end of the channel h, as shown in Fig. 5, and the piston P keeps the slots or apertures i closed. The steam now acts on the ent-ire end surface of the piston N, as this end surface has been removed from the adjoining surface of the piston P', and thereby the pistonrod M is moved still farther in the direction toward the left, thus causing the central piston, H2, to uncover the upper ends ofthe channels L and h', as shown in Fig. 6. By this time the nut O, on the right-hand end of the piston-rod, has come in contact with the outer surface of the piston P', and has moved the same toward the left sufficiently to cover the slots or apertures Z in the cylinder G, the slots z" still remaining covered. The outer surface of the left-hand piston, N, has struck the inner surface of the piston P, and has also moved the same inthe direction toward the left sufficiently to uncover the slots or apertures l in the cylinder G, and to keep the slots i in the cylinder G covered. The parts are now in the position shown in Fig.v 6. As the steam contained between the right-hand piston, N, andthe corresponding end ofthesteamchest cannot escape, it works under expansion, and moves the piston-rod still farther toward the left. The steam contained between the piston P at t-he left-hand end and the correspondingend of the steam-chest acts as a cushion, to prevent hammering' andjarring ofthe steam piston and rod. By the action of the expansion of the steam the piston-rod M is IOO IIO

moved in the direction shown in Fig. 7, thus permitting the live steam to enter through the channel b and movethe piston in the direc'- tion o'fv the arrow a2, the exhauststeamlpassing off through the channel b and the A'exhaustpipe D or openings o o; but by this movement ofthe piston-rod the piston P has been moved to such'an extentas`to uncover th'eslotsi in.4

\ the sent-renie right-hand end`of the` cylinder G,thusV permitting the steam; contained be; tween the'outer end oftheps'ton N and thero corresponding end surfaceotthe stean1`eln istv nto" 'szp through the slots fand theLchannel. ji of, t openings' c' if Te left-Bandi parts;A as? 'shown' Figi..- 7, are in the same position as the" right-hand parts in Fig. B at the' coinl 1-5 Jniencenient of movement, andvic'e versa." vThe left-hand parts, as' shown in Fig. 3, areifn the same position asv the right -':hand paril in i Fig. 7, and after the piston hasicompletetfi'ts stroke to the right? the operation is leggieatedf 2o In addition to the Vabove`,jit inaybestated that`as the piston-rod' movesftlo the -left the left-hand piston, N, moves the pistoni? in such a manner as t0 uncover t.he.-slots l in the cyl-' inder G,- so as to permit thelivesteam'.t o pass throughnthe channels c and `m, andthe slots'l to act on vthe'lefthand piston, N -Whenthepi'st'n'A has 'completed its stroke-to' the fl'etqf The pistons l?, and. Par'e-never moved directly by tlepiston-rod-'Mgbut always'by-the pisturned-in Is nfch a manner astoA admi'tsteam int the channel Kfwhichsteam then 'enters thecylinder G through v the slotsor apertures ZLand'forces the piston-rod M to the left. I f l 4o theniachine stops in suchV a position thatthe livestea'm can act onth'e piston A in'thfe main i v, cylinder. B, `it will not be `necessary to start the'inachinebyopening the cock L. o lavin'gthus described my inventiom what-I- claim'as new,'and desire to secure by-Letters IPQBJJGS-d 11" Y 'Y 1);".The combination,` 'withVa-steam cylinder" ,"and` pi`ston,' of a steam-chestv c nnectedby channels with the steainecylndenfand containf 5o'ig apiston-rod'on whichare mounted three fixed pistons andtwo loosepi'stons atfthe ends, Y 'substantially as hereinshow /n' and described; The Combination 'with esteem-cylinder; fo."V teamfchest`adiusltable many angle .Qn v the i'nder', and conneetedat` its central part lor face Wit-h suitable openings or channels'in, Vthe saine,zsaid openings'bei'ng sernicircular inf s formen the face,"and adapted to' suit any 'pn- I sitiungin `which the steam-chest may be placed 6o' thereon, said openings in steamcylinder to connectwith corresponding openingsor aps keriures/leading from lor -nea'r the ends of the" steameylinder, and between these'openings a circular exhaust-opening, all/'corresponding 6 5,4 with similar openings in the f aceof'the steamchest, cfa longitudinal pistonyr'od, M, in said steam-chest, Working through the central cylinder into two end cylinders lseparate and vdistinct from each other, sad rod being Y mounted with a piston-valve lponj'its central 7m lpart working in the central 'cylinderfand Aadapted to Werk alternatelyand connectth'e `two opposite openings or chambersleading i from the vcentral,cylinder t the edsof the 'the lsame-in connection, and havingtwo pis- 1 mns o n each endet the nStQs-rmMnmking in' separate unifiinstinct end1cy1in'de'rs'-isad""f lpistonsy being comprised of a tightfpiston natted upon the rod and .secured on thesame, 8o and provided with a cylindricalV outside s ur-- Aface having van vannular groove, said surface fitting andeovering perforatedopenings that' pass 1through the loose piston, said loose pis- .ton secured by nut,v key, pin, or otherwise 85 atthe'extreme; end of rodv M of saidpistons, each Workingralternately over a steam and E exhaust porties-'said end cylinders', substantially'ns herein vshown and described.'A A 13."'1he combination,' with the steam cylin- 9o'v der and piston, ofa steam-chest connected' byv channels 'With ,thecylinder, a piston-rod in ythe steam-chest, a piston mounted on thecenter of 'the saidA piston-rod, andV` adapted to "alternately 'open andclose the two channels 95 'leading fromiheopposite-endsof the cylin- 'deflinto 'the Exhaust-'porn 'pistons mounted on thej'said `pistn- Izod at" eaciiside of the middle piston; and .adaptedrto be acted upon by steam in .ounted Ioosel'yo'n 'the-ends of thepist'on-rod, and adapted'to open fidclose the portsffor the exhauststeam thal-has acted onthepis- -tons mounted-on. the p iston-rodzin thechest, substanthally as herein'shown and described; 105 -4. The combination, With a'steam cylinder l and piston, effe steamchest connected with the cylinder `by suitable channel`s,a .piston- `rod heldtto move longitudinal'lyin the steamthe said piston-rod, and adapted to alternately fconnect thech'annels extending from opposite ends ""of the\`cylinderlwith the lexhaustport, pistons mounted on the piston-rod inthe chest iatfeaeh side ofthe central piston, andadapted H5 Vto-be acted n'po'n Aby steam from the main cylfinder; pistonsmounted loosely onthe ends 'of the'pistonlrodfin the 'steam-chest, and adaptedto 'pe'nani' close the exhaust-ports for the steam '.tliatfvh'as acted-,upon the. above-mena' 120 tioned pistons en the-piston-rod in the. chest, andfof nuts secured on the ends of the piston-l rodfin the chestvfor the purpose of operating the l sliding pistons in; either direction, sub- Istantially asherein shown arfd lescribed.

5',- The combination of a steam-cylinder con- 'structed with openings and chahnels leading* from Ythe facejor cent-ral port Where steamches'tis secured to cylinder, said-openings all opening, 'and in aproper position and-ofsufmainsteamcylinder with the exhaust-port of orrfthe 4maincylinder', and of sliding pistons Ioo 'chest, a piston mounted on the central part of IIO -I beingfsemicircular n form around the exhaust: I 30 cientingihto allowl thefchestfto beplfacedonvi longitudinally crosswisc or any angle from the above position, and yet retain their proper relative openings with each other for the free passage' of fluids or steam back and forth, substantially as herein shown and described.

6. The combination, with a steam cylinder and piston, of the steam-chest E` the piston` rod M in the same, the central piston, H2, and

` end pistons, N 51nd N', provided on theirouter end surfaces with cylindrical projections, substantially as herein shown and described.

7. The combination', with a steam cylinder V and piston, of thc steam-chest E, the pistonrod M in the same, the central piston, H", and end pistons, N and N', provided on their o'uter end surfaceswith cylindrical projections, which projections are provided with 'annular grooves in their cylindrical surfaces, substantially as herein shown and described.

8. The combination, with the steam cylinder and piston, ofthe steam-chest on the same, the cylinders G,G,and G in thesteam-chest,

,of whichrcylinders G and G are connected with the opposite ends of the cylinder F, and G is connected within the cylinder F, and in connection with the steam-ports and exhaustpipe, the piston-rodM, the piston H", mounted on the piston-rod, within the' cylinder G, the

pistons N and N monnted on the piston-rod M, within the cylinders G and G', and the loosely-mounted pistn'sPandP on the pistonrod M,within`the cylinders G and G', substan tially as' herein shown and described.

9. The combination, with the steam cylinderand piston, of the steam-chest E, the cylin der F in the same, the cylinders G, G', and G- in the cylinderF, the cylinders G and G being provided with the slots or apertures landi and l and i', and the cylinder G2 being provided withthe slots g, g', and gi, the piston-rod lWI, the pistons H2, N nd N,'mounted rigidly on the same, and the pistonsPand P,mounted loosely on the same, substantially as herein shown and described.

10. The combination, with the steam cylinder and piston, of a steam" chest connected with the cylinder by suitable channels, the piston rod held to reciprocate in thestearm' chest, a central and two side pistons fixed on the said piston-rod,4 which steamchest is pro- 5o vided witha'valved channeLn, fo r admittingthc l live steam direct from the supply-pipe, toct on one of the ixed end pistons n the piston-I rod in the steam-chest,and with apertures C?, also communicating with the supply-pipe, su-'bstantially as 'herein shown and described. f. 11. The combination, with the steam cylinder and piston, of asteamcbest, the cylinder F in the same. the cylinderG", between which and the cylinderF asteam-chamber is formed 6o whichis in communication with channels leading to the opposite ends of the main cylinder, the cylinders G and G', between which and the cylinderF steam-chambers K.and K are formed, which are in communication by steam-channels with theopposite ends of the y main cylinder, and between which cylinders Gand G' and the walls of the steam -chest W'ALTER SOTT IHELPS.V

Witnesses: l

WILLIAM BoYLE GAMLEY, ROBERT EDWARD VAN HAVENBERG. 

